Progress, excitement and incredible support: Matt Beard's reflections on 2023-24 - Liverpool FC

The Reds play their final home fixture of the 2023-24 campaign this afternoon against Manchester United as the battle for fourth place in the Barclays Women's Super League continues.

Beard writes: "This is our final home game of the season and I'd like to pay tribute to our fans who have been magnificent in travelling home and away to get behind the girls.

"We know they will cheer us on again until the final whistle this afternoon and hopefully we've given them something to be proud of this year.

"We're certainly proud of what we've achieved and we know that this is just the start of the journey with this group as it's a young squad.

"When I consider some of the performances of the players this year, I think, 'What are they going to be like next year with this experience of having to do it week, in week out?' Because that's the biggest thing and when you're always preparing for the next game, you don't really get the opportunity to think about it.

"When players like Marie Höbinger, Jenna Clark and Mia Enderby go away this summer and they think, 'Wow, doing that week in, week out was tough', they will have learned so much this year.

"It's not just about performing in the games. You've got to do it on the training pitch every single day too because the level is so high.

"So it's an exciting time for the club and the supporters have been fantastic, especially away from home.

"I go back to the Arsenal game on the opening day and it was amazing. That was the first time we've ever really seen all the fans in the same section in a stadium like that and it's been great. It's easier for us because we know where to go to either celebrate with the supporters if we win or thank them if we've been beaten.

"They've been brilliant and they definitely can be excited about this team for the future. It's a team that's going places."

He adds: "Today's game against Manchester United could go a long way to determining who will finish fourth and we're delighted to be in this position.

"After ending last season in seventh on our return to the WSL, our aim this season was to try to break into that top half of the table and to improve year on year, so we'd have taken this situation going into the final few games."
• Get your copy of the matchday programme at Prenton Park this afternoon